St. Paul daily globe., 1887-11-23

StcllOn 20, page $40 OF CDe statutes, IL j
provided that the deputy warden ma,
act as warden whenever there is va
cancy In the Office of warden, or th'
warden is temporarily absent. There il
no vacancy in the Office of ward en-
There can be no vacancy except by
death, resignation or removal, because
the statute so provides, and it does no
provide for suspension. Warden StOr
dock is present at the prison, and there
fore Mr.. Westby cannot perform the du
ties of warden. The statutes forbid it
and the statute of the state is greater
than the governor and warden. AL
good citizens certainly ought to com
plain when statute, as clear as the one
in reference to the warden of the states
prison, is violated to afford temporary
shield to an officer during the period OF
his Indictment. 1t is double dealing in
another sense, because during the time
since Mr.. StOrdOck claims to have been
suspended, an Official meeting of the
board of prison inspectors has been
held, at which Mr.. StOrdock, being ex-
officio as such warden, its clerk ap-
peared and acted as warden. And dur
ing said time the governor has in writ
ing, requested other officers connected
with the states prison, upon certain
edge to consult Mr.. StOrdOck as warden.
What said to the reporter was, and
what | now mean to say is, that Mr..
Stordock has not been suspended, and
has not suspended himself. He is now
exercising all the authority of warden,
except in some minor instances of Civ
ing orders to guards through Mr.. West
by'S signing himself as acting warden.
That If he is not acting as warden, and
is within the city limits of Saltwater,
then both he and the governor are
guilty of grave OffenSe, because the
governor has no power to suspend him,
and he has no power to suspend him
self.
say further, that there has been no
official notice to the board of prison in
SpectorS of this pretended suspension.
1t seems that all the way through, in
this matter of investigation, the inspect
ors of the states prison at Saltwater.
who are in fact the chief officers and
control it. have at all times been ut
terly ignored as to what has been done
and upon the question as to whether
proper discipline has been maintained
in the prison since the appointment of
Warden StOrdOck. The only inspector
who has been consulted about it was
one who had not worn the mantle of Of
flee fOrty-eight hours and knew nothing
of the state of discipline at the prison.
In this matter the two old inspectors
who are best informed as to the actual
status of affairs at the state prison have
not been consulted. and if consulted
will say that the discipline is very poor.
Another matter in which / am not
correctly reported as to the interview,
and this may be taken as true state
ment of it, is, | said and now say that
the affidavit eXtorted from Mary
Waishair of immoral conduct on the
part of eX-Warden Reed was exhibited
to various parties and persons by Mr..
StordOck before he sent it to the COVER
nor. That it was exhibited by the gov
ernOr to various parties and persons be-
that such charges had been made against
him. And that it was exhibited by both
of these officers under circumstances
not necessary and not in line of their
official conduct. L said that such acts
upon the part of both constituted
criminal libel, and l mean to say it now.
1t was certainly most cruel and MUST
thing toward Mr.. Reed, that this Scau-
dalous document should be exhibited as
a justification for his removal without
the knowledge on the part of Mr.. Reed
that such charges had been made.
/ do not know OF my own knowledge
that this affidavit was so exhibited, as |
never saw it until after the session of
the grand jury, although [ had seen
copy before, but | learn it from sources,
and'frOm men who | believe would not
have told me so were they not prepared
to testify to the fact in court.
also refer to what appeared in your
hn
of the state said that he had notified
Mr.. StOrdOck that, in case of his con-
victiOn, he would be depOsed from
office. was not astOunded at the wis
dom of the remark. 1t was hardly to be
expected that Gov. McGill would so far
stand by Warden StOrdock as to leave
him in possession of the keys of the
prison after he had become a convicted
felOn and dOnned the striped suit, but |
do understand the paragraph to be
definite and defiant announcement on
the part of the executive that, come
what might, he would stand by Mr..
StOrdOck until he was a convicted felOn.
And certainly he could not show more
loyal spirit toward his subordinate
than he has shown by attempting to
override the plain provisions of the
statute in this matter of the pretended
| now say to the governor and to the
board of correction and charities, that
the matter of the charges against
Warden StOrdock, so far as Mr.. Reed
or | had anything to do with them, were
withdrawn from the investigation of the
board of correction and charities, and
that they are not now, and never have
been, in the possession of one-half Of
the evidence in reference to the same,
and that after the withdrawal of the
charges so made before the board of
correction and charities, the same and
additional charges were made before
the board of prison inspectors and the
grand jury of Washington county; that
these two bodies of men were the
proper persons before whom to make
the charges and secure full investiga-
ton. The grand jury has acted in the
premises, and by almost a unanimous
vote of grand jury, pronounced at the
time of its assembling, by Mr.. Stordock,
as an intelligent and honorable body of
men, has charged Mr.. StordOck with
two distinct felOnieS.
The other charges are pending before
the board of prison inspectors, who are
the only proper officers under the statute
to fully in vestigate this matter. And |
respectfully protest against either the
verdict of the jurors or the right of the
inspectors who control the prison
to investigate this matter and pro-
nounce upon it, being anticipated
by either the board of correction and
charities or by the governor of the state.
protest against the farce of pretending
to suspend an officer when there is no
power in the state of Minnesota to
suspend him.
If, by reason of being under cloud.
Mr.. Stordock is not fit at the present
time to administer the Office of warden
of the states prison, let him be dis
charged.
If the governor thinks that it is not
necessary for a clean administration,
that its officers should he above re-
proach, or if he feels that the verdict of